Tortured Romance
by ActAppalled
Summary: In the distance, Hermione watched Ginny lead the love of her life off to tell him how she felt. 'And now,' she thought. 'He'll know the truth..' A love story between two friends who hate to love one another. Rated M for possible umpcoming explicit chapter
1. I

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor will I ever. J.K. Rowling is a fantastic author; no one will ever beat her.

A/N: Okay, so I decided that I would start to write HP Fan Fic.'s again. I hope you all love the new story. I really will continue some old ones of mine; What Happens Tomorrow; Hot In Here; BB2. So don't worry. I'm not done. This is an idea I thought of a while ago and never got to type up. WELCOME ME BACK TO FAN FICTION! I missed it. :) Tell me what you think.

* * *

Chapter One: God Damn Bloody Feelings 

Okay, so let's put it this way; I can be ditzy. I can blow up at a guy when I'm in the stage as we girls refer to as "that time of the month", which makes me feel bad for Ron and Harry, who have to deal with it. I may not be the prettiest girl in Hogwarts. I mean, sure, I've had boyfriends, but they weren't the _real deal_ or anything; I had a fling going on with Ron for a bit, and I dated a very cute Scottish boy named Ethan, but those only lasted for a week or two. But you know what really makes me upset? What makes me want to hang myself and throw something at a wall, because I regret it more and more each day?

How I feel about Harry.

Sure, he's a terrific friend; we laugh all the time around each other, hold hands occassionally (but only in the friendly matter) and swap homework to check it (Harry's always turns out to be wrong; poor guy) but that's it. Little friendly things. I don't feel that way about him, each day I want to say I don't like him, but I do. I love him; more than a friend.

Ron knows. I know he does. Everytime Harry leaves after breakfast, I watch his back get smaller and smaller as he walks upstairs and Ron gives me that little annoying smirk of his that says "you love him, you know you do." And I can't taunt him back either, because he's already been dating Luna for 4 months and there's nothing bad to say about them. They're perfect together.

Anyway, I might aswell finish this up for the evening. I still don't know what to do about this. Maybe tomorrow something will happen. (I highly doubt that though.)

* * *

Hermione slowly shut the red leather-bound diary her grandparents had given her before they passed away. The hard, thick rain drops landed on her Head Girl dormitory window, and she closed the curtains slowly. It was the evening after she had arrived back at Hogwarts for their last year there, and at ten o'clock at night, it was time for her to do her night walk through. Hopefully, Filch wouldn't yell at her this time. 

Hermione sat up and dropped her feet onto the hardwood floors, walking to her dresser and taking out her Head Girl robes, slipping them on over her head and adjusting the badge as she flicked off the light, locking the door and slipping her wand into her robes pocket. Just as her foot hit the last step, a male voice called out, "Hermione! Ready to check the corridors?"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she turned her head; sure enough, there was Harry, standing at the bottom of the stairs in the Head Boy/Girl common room, smiling brightly at her as he adjusted his robes. She weakly smiled, trying hard not to melt into a puddle right there and then. Just the sight of him made her weak in the knees; his jet black hair ruffled in a sexy-looking style, and his emerald eyes sparking behind his glasses.

"Mione?" he said, waving a hand in front of her. Hermione shook her head quickly and smiled at him."Yeah, totally ready, let's go!" she said a little too brightly. Harry dimly shrugged and followed her out of the common room.

As the two stepped out of the common room, they looked side to side to look for students sneaking out. Then, they walked down the corridor with their elbows touching, smiling sheepishly.

"So, how are you sweetie?" Harry said, snaking his arm around Hermione's hip, smiling down at her softly. Hermione rested the side of her head against Harry's shoulder and jumped up as she heard a loud crash.

"I'm good, but we should check that out Harry,"she said, darting down the corridor and turning once she made the stairs, peering down them. Harry jogged up beside her and they widened their eyes at the sight. There, laying on their back with a large bottle of Jack Daniel's clasped in their hand, was Draco Malfoy. He was obviously drunk; his blonde hair was a mess over his steely blue eyes and his skin was pale except for the blonde-ish-brown stubble around his chin.

"What the bloody hell is he doing up here?" Harry said, walking down the steps and kneeling beside Draco, yanking the bottle of rum out of his hand and setting it aside. Hermione kneeled on the other side of him.

"We should get Professor Snape,"Hermione suggested. Harry nodded in agreement and placed a hand over Hermione's. "Quickly, sweetie,"he said. Hermione shivered and ran back up the stairs, her heart racing. _'Oh my, Harry just touched my hand. And called me sweetie! OH GOD! Why do I have to like him!'_

_

* * *

_The next morning, Hermione awoke feeling a weird swirl in her stomach and her head was pounding aswell. _'What happened last night?'_ she thought as she sat up in her bed. Shrugging casually, she got up and changed into a pair of dark denim jeans and a black V-neck sweater, not bothering to put a tank top underneath to hide her slight cleavage. She combed her hair and put a charm on it she got from a beauty magazine to make it turn straight before grabbing her cloak and dashing downstairs.

Once she was in the common room, Harry strolled downstairs in dark grey jeans and a fitting black T-shirt. He smiled at Hermione.

"Mornin',"he yawned, walking past her to the front door of the common room. Hermione got up when he was about to open the door and smiled, frowning as she saw who was waiting for him at the other side.

"Good morning, Harry!" seventh-year Alexis Barker said cheerfully, smiling at Harry. She was very gorgeous, Hermione had to admit, with long, shiny black hair and light blue eyes. Her skin was softly tanned, one hundred percent natural despite the rumors, and she was wearing a green skirt with a black tank top.

"Hey, Alexis," Harry said, smiling at her as she walked down the stairs. Hermione's heart pounded angrily in her chest. _'You do realise,'_ Hermione said to Harry in her head. _'That Alexis Barker is Hogwarts' bicycle?'_

Harry turned to Hermione and frowned."Mione, everything okay?" he asked. Hermione nodded slowly and tossed her hair back, walking past Harry with a slight strut to her walk, hoping her hips were moving back and forth as she did. Harry followed closely behind her.

The two friends entered the Great Hall to see hundreds of Hogwarts students staring back at them. Harry arched his eyebrows and walked up the aisle, taking a seat beside Ron and smiling at a group of girls in Ravenclaw who were checking him out.

"G'morning Harry,"Ron said cheerfully, devouring his poached eggs while shoving toast and marmalade into his mouth. Harry laughed and looked back at Hermione, who was chatting away with Lavender Brown down the table. His eyes skimmed over her body, stopping at her hips and making their way down. She was simply gorgeous now to Harry, and sweet, smart, funny..

_ 'Woah!'_ Harry thought to himself. _'Where the bloody hell did that come from? You don't like Hermione! Shut up!'_ He shook his head fiercly before looking her over again. Hermione turned her head to smile at Neville and talk to him, licking her lips slightly as she listened to him.

_ 'Oh lord,'_ Harry thought, watching her tongue move slowly over her bottom lip, then top one. _'Those lips, that smile, those eyes.. GAH! Why am I suddenly thinking this!'_

"Harry, you alright?"Ron said, swallowing his last bit of toast. Harry shook his head to focus again and nodded, pulling his gaze away from Hermione to a plate of cauldron cakes, grabbing four and stuffing one into his mouth."I'm fyne,"he said, his voice muffled by the food.

Hermione walked over and sat beside Harry."Oh my, everything looks delicious this morning,"she said, grabbing a slice of toast and some custard. Harry nodded solemnly and watched as her breast brushed against his arm as she leaned for the pumpkin juice. He shot up straight and cleared his throat.

"So, Hogsmead next week. Who are you bringing, Ron?" Harry said quickly, keeping his eyes focused on his meal. Ron lifted an eyebrow and glanced from Hermione to Harry.

"Uhm, Luna."He moved his plate to the side and sipped on his pumpkin juice."Who else would I bring?"

"Uhm, I dunno.."Harry said akwardly, shifting in his seat. Suddenly, he smiled and turned to Hermione."Who are you going with?"he asked cheerfully. Hermione looked at Harry and blushed a little. _'Oh god, what if he's thinking of taking me?'_ she thought.

"Uhm, I don't know yet."Hermione downed the rest of her pumpkin juice and quickly got up, turning on her heel to sit by Ginny and Lavender, whispering to them.

"What's up with you?"Ron asked, a frown on his face. Harry mumbled something before clearing his throat and shaking his head."I'll tell you later, when we're outside. Not now,"he whispered. Ron nodded and got up with Harry, the two of them leaving the Great Hall and going upstairs to gather their scarves and jumpers.

Harry opened the door to Hogwarts, closing his eyes as a crisp, autumn breeze blew in his face and sending a shiver down his spine. The sky was clear blue with a few lonely clouds drifting by, a cool breeze causing girl's hair to fly in their face. The grass and trees shuddered at the wind as Ron and Harry made their way to the lake, sitting just infront of the damp, soggy mud that lead to the water.

"Is this about Hermione?"Ron asked once they were both on the grass. Harry widened his eyes and looked at Ron, suprised he had guessed in right on the first shot."Uh, well yeah,"he said. Ron chuckled and lied back in the grass, a breeze causing his shaggy red hair to twist in his eyes."You guys make so much more sense then her and Ethan or her and me,"he said, staring up in the clouds.

Harry hugged his knees to his chest and looked behind his shoulders, watching Hermione lean against a tree with her long brown hair twirling around her face, talking to Ginny and laughing. He sighed softly and ran his hand through his hair."The feelings just started tod.."

"HELL NO!" Ron snapped, sitting up. Hermione and Ginny turned their heads to look at Ron, who smiled and waved before leaning close to Harry to whisper in his ear,"I've noticed you've been staring and smiling at her 5 months now, you liar. You love her!"

Harry grimaced and looked at Hermione again, who was now smiling at him aswell. His heart skipped a beat.

"Oh lord, I do,"he groaned, falling flat on his stomach. Ron nodded and shrugged his shoulders, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder."Cheer up, mate. I have the feeling she fancy's you, too,"Ron said. Harry shrugged and stared at Hermione, from the tips of her shoes to the twirl of her hair.

"I just want to kiss her. Right now. Just go over there and press her to the tree and kiss her so deeply we'd wind up running inside to her dormitory,"Harry groaned. Ron snorted with laughter and fell down beside him."Lord, Harry! Getting carried away now, are we?" he said. Harry smirked and closed his eyes for a moment, picturing his fingers entwined in Hermione's, his eyes gazing into hers.

"Mm. I need her, Ron. She's so perfect in every way possible,"he sighed. Ron nodded and punched Harry's arm gently."You guys are great together, mate,"he said.

"Ron! Come here for a second!" Luna Lovegood called from the side of the castle, her blonde hair twisting behind her back. Ron got up and scurried off to see Luna, leaving Harry alone to think. Just as he was about to doze off, a pair of feet walked up to him and stopped at his nose.

"Harry,"Ginny said. Harry looked up and smiled."Hey, Gin,"he said.

"Hey. Can I talk to you for a moment?"she asked. Harry nodded and got up, letting Ginny lead him over to a tree.

In the distance, Hermione watched Ginny lead the love of her life off to tell him how she felt. _'And now,'_ she thought. _'He'll no the truth..'_

A/N: Okay, okay. So there you go; first chapter is up. Tell me what you think. : I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!

PS: I really like reviews, FYI. :


	2. II

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Ooh thanks for the reviews! I hope you guys all enjoyed it! I suppose I should start writing the second chapter again, right? Here are your responses to your reviews. Write more to me!

**IceBlades:** Nice to see you looking at my stories again. But sorry for cliff hangers! They amuse me.

**GirCrazy:** The next chapter is NOW. Hehe.

**BeaumontRulz:** I know I made alot of errors. Hey, I'm not perfect. I should get an editor, haha. But I agree, I have improved.

**BigDaddyThaddy:** I know, I realised that error. Sorry, I should've changed it. But thank you! I hope this is soon for you.

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Chapter Two: The Head Boy/Girl Common Room 

Hermione leaned against the side of the tree, biting her nails furiously. Ginny was chatting away to Harry, acting very casually, despite the fact that Hermione could tell she was groaning on and on about how much she liked Harry. And once his emerald eyes turned in Hermione's direction, her heart stopped and she froze, staring at him for a moment before letting her gaze drop to her feet.

_'Oh lord. He must think I'm such an idiot!' _she moaned in her head. She briefly lifted her gaze away from her shoes to watch Harry again, feeling her heart skip a beat as he continued to watch her while Ginny continued on.

"So, what do you think?"Ginny said, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder so he looked back at her."Do you think that you could give me some help with my Charms?"

Harry looked at Ginny and then Hermione, who was kneeling against the tree and hugging her knees to her stomach. He sighed softly, nodding his head and stepping back from Ginny."I'd be happy to, Ginny,"he said.

Ginny grinned and skipped off, prancing towards Luna and Ron, leaving Harry to stand against the tree, pratically biting his cuticles off.He stared at Hermione for the longest time; her hair was covering her face slightly, which was obviously annoying her since she kept moving it behind her shoulder, and her knees were pressed against her chest hard. She wasn't looking back at Harry, and her eyes glazed over as she stared at the lake.

_'Should I go talk to her?'_ he asked himself. _'Oh go on with it, mate, she's not going to be there all day, all alone for you to talk to.'_ Harry took a deep breath and made his way towards Hermione, his hands sinking lower and lower into his pockets at the point he almost had to tug his pants back up to keep them from falling.

Hermione looked up as Harry got closer to her, feeling her insides turn with excitement and nervousness. He drew closer to her, so close that his feet were soon infront of hers and when she looked up, all she saw was his crotch.

"Mione, can I ask you something?"he said, bending down to sit beside her. Hermione nodded silently and continued staring at the lake. Harry sighed and draped an arm around her shoulder.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmead with me? I mean, Ron and Luna won't want to hang around with us, so it'll just be the two of us alone,"he suggested, squeezing Hermione's shoulders softly. She lifted her eyes to look at him, smiling gently while inside of her chest, her heart was racing and her mind was screaming, _'OH MY LORD!'_

"I'd love to, Harry,"she said calmly, trying hard not to tackle him and kiss him all over. She lifted herself off the ground and swiped her hair away from her face."I have to go. Lavender asked if I wanted to walk around the Qudditch pitch for a while,"she lied. Harry nodded and smiled at Hermione, rubbing her hand before she left to run towards Lavender. _'There, that wasn't so bad, was it?'_ he thought, standing up and slowly walking towards Ron, Luna, and Ginny.

* * *

After a long day of Qudditch practice, studying, and random talking, it was time for all the Hogwarts students to meet in the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione had changed for dinner, making a head-turning entrance when she arrived; she was wearing a short, pinistripe miniskirt that was not skanky and very tasteful with a black halter top, giving a nice low V down the front and showing off her smooth, hairless back. She had made her hair into loose waves that bounced slightly as she walked, and every eye was on her as she walked in. 

"Hey, Harry. Hey, Ron,"she said, taking a seat beside Ginny across from the two friends. Ron continued to shove mashed potatoes into his mouth, smiling at Hermione and giving her a muffled "Hello" before continuing to eat.

"Hey,"Harry said, lifting his head from his food and widening his eyes as he had a direct look down Hermione's halter top when she reached for the meat pie. He swallowed hard and looked away, twisting his fingers in a knot under the table.

"So, what are we planning on doing tomorrow? Hogsmead's next week, right? And tomorrow's Sunday. I have no plans,"Hermione announced, looking from Ron to Harry.

"Oh, well, we have a Qudditch match tomorrow, Mione,"Harry said, scraping off the last bit of peas that were left on his plate."Against Slytherine, and then Ron and I have to study for Charms. You could help us out if you want."

Hermione nodded solemnly and took a bite out of the dinner roll she had buttered up, swallowing the last bite and standing up."Well, I'm off to talk to Dobby. He has something he wanted to speak to me about,"she said briskly, walking away from Ginny, Ron, and Harry. The three of them watched her leave before turning back to each other.

"Oh yeah, she's madly in love with you,"Ron said, swallowing hard on his chicken. Harry mumbled something about having to go get a book from the library and got up, dashing out of the Great Hall. He froze when he opened the doors to see someone face-to-face with him.

"Why 'ello there, Harry mate!"Seventh-year Ethan Douglas said to Harry. He was a handsome boy, and also Hermione's ex. He had curly brown hair that fell to the nape of his neck, and was shinier then most girl's hair. His eyes were dark brown and his skin was a deep tan. He smiled at Harry and punched his shoulder playfully.

"Oh, uh, hello Ethan,"Harry said as he walked past him, sitting at the the end of the Gryffindor table. Harry looked up the stairs and frowned as he saw Hermione going up them to the Head Boy/Girl common room portrait. He followed her up, careful to not let her know he was behind her and stood behind a pillar as she said the password to Sir Hamilton's portrait, closing it behind her.

"Ah, hello there young chap!"Sir Hamilton said, his thick grey moustache curling into a smile. Harry grinned and tucked his hands into his pockets."Butterbeer crumpets,"he said. Sir Hamilton's portrait swung forward, revealing the red and gold decorated common room. Harry closed it gently, careful not to let Hermione know he was inside with her while making his way to the chairs, sitting in them and letting his head fall back.

"Harry?" Hermione called from the top of her stairs. Harry looked over at them and widened his eyes as he saw Hermione's shadow creeping down. Quickly, he fell and rolled under the couch, pressing his cheek to the cold ground as the fireplace crackled cheerfully. Hermione's smooth feet stepped off the staircase as she moved around the room, stopping to sit on the couch softly.

"Harry, are you here?"Hermione asked in a scared voice, her feet twitching. Harry let out a soft sigh and rolled out from under the couch, causing Hermione to lift her feet, startled.

"Harry! What were you doing under there!"she asked. Harry didn't answer; instead, he looked over her outfit. She was wearing a lacey, slightly-see through white camisole, causing her red lacey bra to show through, and a pair of black short-shorts. She was clearly about to go to sleep, but the sight of her in that made Harry extremely aroused.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at him. He smiled slowly and shut his eyes, dozing off into a peaceful sleep.

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A/N: Mm. That's it for this chapter. I hope this was soon enough for all of you. And please review it, even if you reviewed the first chapter! Thank you. :) 


	3. III

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Once again, thank you for the reviews! I know the ending didn't make sense, but I will explain it when I answer your remarks. I was at my dad's for two days, so that's why this chapter is later then the last one. Here are the resposes to your reviews. Make sure to give me more on this chapter, please.

**asianhomiequeen101:** Thank you:)

**BigDaddyThaddy:** Yes I know, I didn't feel like writing more though. And I was running out of ideas for the chapter, and Harry was just tired, which has nothing to do with the fact it was too early; people always nap. And when Ron said that, he was serious. Hope this is soon enough!

**QuidditchGirl30:** Thank you! I'm trying my best.

**BeaumontRulz:** Oops. Sorry, I'm not perfect at spelling.And yeah, I'll simmer down with the "Old Lord". And yes, Harry was just tired. Lol. Thank you!

**GirCrazy: **Aw thank you. Haha, not as soon as the last one, but soon enough.

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Chapter Three: Sharing A Carriage 

Harry woke up and blinked at the sudden light shining on his face. He lifted himself off the ground and onto his elbows, re-adjusting his glasses on his nose and looking around the common room. Hermione was passed out on the couch above him, a red blanket thrown across her shoulders. She looked so peaceful, with her long golden hair covering half of her face and her dark eyelashes twitching as she had a dream.

Careful not to awake her, Harry slid himself off the ground and crept up to his dormitory. He took off his clothes from yesterday and replaced them with jeans, a white button-up shirt and a maroon jumper, walking down the stairs and locking the door behind him.

"Mm.. Harry,"Hermione said, startling Harry. He looked over at her to see her still lying down, her eyes still shut.

"Harry, oh yes,"she murmured, biting her lip. Harry widened his eyes and watched her squirm in her sleep, realising that she was dreaming of him. And it must have been a very good dream.

"Mione,"Harry whispered, gently resting his hand on Hermione's shoulder. Slowly, she opened her dark eyes and smiled at Harry. He smiled back and sat by her feet.

"Mm. Mornin', Harry,"she said, yawning and stretching her arms. Harry smiled and got up."Want me to wait for you?"he asked.

"Oh no, you can go down for breakfast,"she said, sitting up and stretching. Harry nodded slightly and got up, making his way to the common room door before turning to look at Hermione.

"Mione, don't forget to bring down our Charms work. I'm going to need help after breakfast,"he said. Hermione nodded at Harry before he turned his back and headed down to the Great Hall.

"Harry!"Ron ran up to Harry, wearing black pants and a pale yellow button-up shirt."I've been looking for you. When did you wake up?"

"About 10 minutes ago,"Harry replied, slipping his hands inside of his pockets.

"Okay. Anyway, we have a Qudditch practice in 3 hours at the pitch. Remember that!"Ron said. Harry chuckled and rolled his eyes."Ron, I'm the captian, why would I forget?"he said.

Ron shrugged and opened the tall, oak doors to the Great Hall, stepping in to hear the clatter of plates and forks scraping together, muffled by the chatter of the students.

"Hello, Harry."Neville Longbottom, a good friend of Harry's, smiled at him as he passed."We have a Qudditch meet today, right?"

"Yes, Neville. Make sure you make it on time,"Harry said.

"I'll make sure he's at the pitch, Harry,"Seamus Finnagin announced. Harry and Ron made their way to Ginny and Luna, who were bent over the table while reading the _Quibbler_, occasionally biting into toast.

"Morning, Ginny. Morning, Luna,"Harry said, sitting down across from them and reaching for the oatmeal.

"Morning,"the two girls said, not taking their eyes off of what they were reading. Ron sat down beside Harry and spooned a heaping amount of eggs onto his plate."You never came back down last night,"Ron said, scooping eggs into his mouth.

Harry looked over at Ron while biting into a slice of toast."I know. Sorry, mate, but I went upstairs and I had a nap.. a longer one then expected.

"Hermione said you didn't do your rounds either,"Ginny said, keeping her eyes on the page."She said you were passed out on the floor under her."

"Seriously?"Ron choked on his eggs as he laughed."Bloody 'ell, Harry. Did you drink too much rum or something?"

"Shut up,"Harry mumbled, wiping his jelly-covered hands on Ron's pants.

"Oi!"Ron exclaimed.

"Good morning!" Harry and Ron turned to see Hermione, wearing a polk-a-dot tank top and straight-legged jeans smiling at them."What's for breakfast?"she asked, taking a seat beside Ginny.

"Toast, oatmeal, eggs and bacon,"Luna said, lifting her eyes to smile at Hermione."You look happy this morning."

"I am!"Hermione lifted her book bag onto the empty space beside her and took out her quill and a roll of parchment, dipping her quill in the ink bottle on the bench while jotting something down on the already half-covered 4 foot parchment roll. Harry wiped his mouth and watched her scribbling away.

"Wussat?"Ron mumbled, swallowing the last bit of eggs he had. Hermione held up the roll with difficulty, pointing to the top of the page."The essay for Potions. We had to find the 7 main ingredients in the Tahexadron Potion and list how they affected it,"she said. Ron looked at Harry, who shrugged and took a sip of pumpkin juice."I don't remember Snape assigning that to us,"he said.

Hermione lifted her head."He's assigning it tomorrow. I got the homework off him,"she said. Harry nodded, looking at Ron stuff his face with Yorkshire pudding before leaning back on the bench, satisfied.

* * *

A full week passed at Hogwarts, and the wind started to pick up. The cold October morning sent chills down Harry's spine as he rolled over in his bed, groaning at the time. He had to get up in 5 minutes for breakfast when he just wanted to lay in bed all morning, warm in his quilt. There was a quiet tap on the door and Hermione poked her head in, smiling at Harry. 

"Morning,"she said, sitting at the end of his bed. Harry smiled and sat up slowly, stretching his long arms behind his head."Mm, morning,"he replied.

"So, Hogsmead today,"she said, taking her eyes off Harry's bare torso. _'He's naked! Well, partially naked. I can only see his chest and his six-pack and his muscles.. oh stop thinking like that, you moron!'_ Hermione groaned in her head.

"Uh huh. Still coming with me, love?"Harry asked, inching his eyes up Hermione's side. She nodded at him and smiled."You should probably get dressed. Filch is getting the carriages at 10:30,"she said. Harry got up from the bed and walked to his wardrobe, taking out a black wifebeater and dark denim jeans."You mind?"he said with a smirk.

"Oh! I'm sorry,"Hermione said, standing up embarassed. Harry looked over her outfit; a fitting white tank top with black cut-off shorts and thong sandles. She smiled at Harry as she left his dormitory, allowing him to change in privacy.

Once Harry was changed, he met Hermione in the Head Boy/Girl common room and the two went down for breakfast. Ron was already there, of course, with Ginny sitting beside him, a smile spread across her face as Ron talked to her.

"Why the big smile?"Harry laughed, sitting down across from Ron and moving over to give Hermione a seat. Ginny shook her head and grabbed _The Daily Prophet_ off the table, holding it infront of her face as a picture of Arthur Weasley waved at Harry.

"Oi, why's your dad on the front page of the _Prophet_?" Harry asked, nudging at the newspaper with his fork. Ron glanced at it and shrugged."He won a lottery back at home. A few hundred pounds, no big deal really,"Ron exclaimed.

Hermione picked at her food, swallowing as much as her anxious stomach could handle. Today was the day that she and Harry would have some alone time together! Finally, she could flirt with Harry and not have stubborn Ron smirking at her as she did so.

"Ginny! Shall we 'ead out to the carriages?"Ethan said, walking up to the four of them. He looked at Hermione and smiled, nodding at her while taking Ginny's hand, leading her to the doors of the Great Hall. Hermione watched them leave and looked at Ron.

"Ginny's going to Hogsmead with Ethan Douglas?"she asked him. Ron turned his head to Hermione."Well, yeah. I mean, the two have been dating for some time now, Hermione. 3 months almost,"he said. Hermione widened her eyes and frowned, looking outside as the two rushed into a carriage."She never told me,"she said.

After breakfast, Harry and Hermione met up with Ron and Luna at the front of Hogwarts, their cloaks and scarves wrapped around them tightly as the the four shared a carriage, sighing at the soft warmth of it.

"Where are you two going to start out at?"Ron asked, slipping his arm around Luna's waist.

"I dunno yet. I suppose Honeydukes since it's right there,"Harry said, looking at Hermione for approval. She nodded and fidgeted in her seat.

"Blimey! So are we,"Ron said. Luna giggled."I suggested Honeydukes because I have a rather large sweet tooth today,"she said. Harry smiled and looked at Hermione, who was staring out the carriage window. He frowned._ 'Put your arm around her or something, it won't hurt. Just a friendly gesture to her but a move to you'_ he said to himself. Harry took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders, pulling her close so her head was on his shoulder. She took a deep breath and bit her lip, smiling.

"That's adorable! You two would make the cutest couple, you know,"Luna said. Harry and Hermione both widened their eyes, sitting up straight.

"Next stop, Hogsmead!"Filch growled from outside the carriage and with a loud crack of his whip, the 30 carriages holding Hogwarts students was lead off by horses to Hogsmead.

* * *

A/N: I know, this one was a little later then the last chapter, but I hoped you like it. Next chapter will be good stuff, I swear. I know you've all be anxious, but I decided to lead up on them becoming a couple other then making them a couple at the beginning like my old stories. Anyway, review please and tell me what you think. 


	4. IV

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor will I ever. J.K. Rowling is a fantastic author; no one will ever beat her.

A/N: So I haven't written any HP Fan Fic's for quite a long time now, but since I really don't have anything better to do at the moment, I thought I'd write a few chapters for a few stories. So I hope you enjoy the fourth chapter of _Tortured Romance_, and be sure to review!

* * *

Chapter Four: A Rainy Alley

As the carriages pulled up to the tall, steel gates that lead into Hogsmead, Hermione's nerves became increasingly larger. Not only would this be her first time alone with Harry for a long period of time, but this was also the first time he had asked her – and only her – to go to Hogsmead with him. '_What if I do something he doesn't like?' _she asked herself worriedly. _'Or what if I try to kiss him and he's not interested? God, this is so frustrating!'_

"We've arrived at Hogsmead," Filch growled from outside the carriage, yanking open the compartment doors of their carriage. Harry allowed Hermione to get out first before following her, followed by Luna and Ron. The carriage doors behind them opened, and Ginny and Ethan climbed out, holding hands and giggling softly. Hermione glared a little at Ginny. It wasn't that she was jealous over the fact she was dating her ex-boyfriend; it was the fact she hadn't told her.

"Alright, you dingy little demons," Filch snapped at the crowd of Hogwarts students. "The time is 11 o' five. McGonagall would prefer if you were back at the school by no later than 7 o'clock, so meet back at the gates by 6:59 at the latest, got it?" The crowd nodded in agreement and Filch climbed back into the seat, leading the carriages off to the school once more.

"How much money did you bring?" Harry asked as he held open the gate to Hogsmead for Hermione. As she passed him, his other hand gently touched the small of her back, causing tiny shivers to creep up her spine.

"Uh, about thirty galleons," she replied. Harry smiled politely as he also held the gate open for Luna, Ron, Ginny and Ethan.

"Where are you two off to?" Luna asked, interlocking her fingers with Ron's. Hermione glanced at Harry for an answer.

"I'm not sure, we're going to browse." Harry beamed at Hermione. "Want to meet at the Hog's Head in two hours?" Ron and Luna agreed, and the four friends went their separate ways.

Hogsmead wasn't as busy as it usually was – the odd familiar Hogwarts student would pass Harry and Hermione, followed by an elderly witch or wizard. Harry decided to check out Fred and George's joke shop first, to see how business was running. Hermione lead Harry to the brightly-coloured orange-red store near the front of Hogsmead, which held an enormous sign at the top that read; _The Wheezing Weasley Twins Joke Shop: A Prank Available For Every Witch and Wizard! _Hermione smirked at the sign and pushed open the heavy metal doors.

The inside of the store had so much noise going on, you couldn't tell by passing by it on the streets of Hogsmead. There were paper birds flying above their heads and chocolate frogs bouncing around the floors. Slimy, lemon-flavoured slugs slid quickly along the walls of the store and would casually drop a long line of lemon slime onto a customer's awaiting scalp. Fred and George were behind the counter of the shop, showing a first-year Hogwarts student how the laughing taffy worked. They were dressed in similar black and maroon velvet robes while Fred's had a bright red _F_ emblem on his breast and George's had a similar _G _emblem on his.

"Harry and Hermione, fancy seeing you two here!" Fred chirped up behind his brother, sliding past him with a platter of chocolate frog boxes in his hand. "Care for one?"

Harry picked up a box and examined it. "What's wrong with them?" he asked jokingly.

"Nothing, mate… This and George's and my lunch," he said cheerfully. Hermione shrugged and took a box, opening it with caution to see that it really was just a normal chocolate frog and normal chocolate frog box with a Godric Gryffindor trading card under the lid.

"So, are Ron and Luna here as well?" George asked as he finished up with the first year, who he had successful sold four pounds of the laughing taffy to.

"Yeah, I don't know where they are now, but they're here someone," Harry said as he popped a chocolate frog into his mouth.

"Are you two here on a date?" the brothers asked in unison, opening a chocolate frog box for themselves. Harry choked on the frog and Hermione froze before putting hers into her mouth.

"Uh, well, not technically," she said, patting Harry on the back to loosen the frog stuck in his throat.

"Shame. I always thought you two made quite a good-looking couple, to be honest," Fred said, greeting the new guest with a chocolate frog.

Hermione blushed madly. "Well, I don't know, I mean…"

"FRED, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!" Ron's voice snapped from the doorway, spitting out the lemon-flavoured slug that had been disguised as a chocolate frog for Ron.

"Sorry, mate. Just trying to have a little fun," Fred said with a loud laugh. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, we're going to take off then," Harry said, gently grabbing Hermione's wrist and leading her out of the store, ignoring Ron's sly grin.

"I'm sorry for Fred's awkward question," Harry stuttered as he led Hermione to the side alley. "I mean, I don't want you to feel that I asked you out as a date."

Hermione's heart sunk in her chest and she frowned a little. "Oh…" she said sadly. Harry gently took Hermione's hand in his own, running his thumb over her knuckles and causing her to take a sharp intake of breath. _'Oh, that feels so good… I wish he would kiss me already… Maybe I should make the first move.'_

"Sorry," Harry said quickly, removing his hand thinking he had hurt or scared Hermione.

Hermione took a deep breath as a thick drop of rain fell onto the bridge of her nose, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck and pulling him in close. "Don't ever be sorry, Harry," she murmured huskily, pressing her lips softly against his as more drops of rain fell on top of them.

Shocked, Harry stood wide-eyed for a moment before realising what was going on. _Oh god, she's kissing me. I should've made the first move, I know it, but this feels so amazing,'_ he thought to himself. Slowly, he circled his arms around Hermione's waist and lifted her body up, holding her in place firmly with his hands under her thighs and her legs wrapped around his waist.

Their kiss became more passionate and more urgent as Harry fought to press his tongue inside Hermione's mouth, who eagerly accepted. Before either of them could control themselves, Hermione was pressed against the alley wall eagerly as the pouring rain caused their bodies to become wet and their clothing see-through. Hermione's stringy wet hair clung to the sides of her cheeks as she held Harry's cheeks and tasted his mouth with her tongue, scared to pull away. _'I'm kissing Harry! Finally, after the years of waiting and wanting, I can finally kiss him!'_ she screamed in her mind happily.

After ten minutes of a very passionate kiss, Harry pulled away to catch his breath. Hermione stared down as his soaking black T-shirt clung to every muscle on his body, accenting his stomach and arms. She slid her hands up his firm body, wanting to take him right there in the alley in passion. Harry slid his hands down the sides of Hermione's body, her white tank top now see through from the rain and exposing her black lace bra.

"I want you," Hermione murmured breathily onto Harry's soft lips, running her fingers into the back of Harry's tangled wet hair.  
Harry moaned softly on her lips, aroused by their wet environment and passionate minds. "I've always wanted you, Mione. I've wanted you since the first day I saw you when you came back to Hogwarts 6th year," he whispered back on her lips, catching them in his again as he pulled her body tight to his. Luckily, the alley was so dark even in mid-afternoon that no passer-by could possibly see them out of the corner of their eye unless they looked directly down the alley.

Hermione was in complete bliss – she was kissing the only boy she had truly loved more than a friend. And not only did she share feelings for him, but he shared them for her! Nothing could be more perfect than this moment with Harry right now.

What seemed like hours passed, and Harry finally let go of Hermione. Both friends were breathing hard, trying to catch their breath. The rain continued to beat down on them, but neither cared as they stared blissfully into one another's eyes.

"I'm cold," Hermione finally murmured, slightly ruining the romantic moment, but Harry just laughed. He scooped Hermione up into his arms and removed his jacket, cloaking her from the rain.

"I'll get you somewhere warm," he said, kissing her lips once more before running onto the cobblestone streets of Hogsmead, careful not to slip on one of the wet stones. He searched the windows of the shops until he saw a tiny cake and tea shop nearby Fred and George's joke shop. He quickly ducked in their and let Hermione down onto the floor.

The tea and cake shop was actually called _Madame Hooch's Tea-light_, which caused Harry to arch his eyebrow at the name. Although Madame Hooch was the referee for the Quidditch games at Hogwarts, she also had a twin sister named Madame Ladelei, who owned the tea shop in Hogsmead. The resemblance was uncanny – Madame Ladelei had spiky white-blonde hair and steely blue eyes with a sharp pointed nose and a stern yet kind smile. She was wearing deep purple robes and a long white skirt as she greeted the two of them.

"You two look drenched," she said, closing the book she was reading at her desk and placing her half-moon glasses on top of the book. She removed her wand from her robe pocket and swished it in the air, murmuring something quietly. A large blast of warm wind flew over Hermione and Harry, drying them as they were dressed in new, dry clothes – Harry was dressed in dark wash jeans and a white V-neck sweater while Hermione was dressed in black corduroy pants and a purple turtleneck sweater.

"Thank you very much," Hermione said happily. "Could we have a table, please?"

Madame Ladelei gestured towards a table right by the fireplace, where Harry led Hermione.

As they took their seats in the cushioned red chairs, Harry reached across the table and took Hermione's hands in mine. "Mione, I love you. I always have," he said, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. "I don't want to be with anyone but you. Will you be mine?" He smiled warmly and brought her hands to his mouth to kiss them.

Hermione's heart beat madly against her chest as she reached across the table for Harry's chin, slowly bringing it in to kiss his lips slowly and softly. She pulled away. "I'd love to, Harry," she murmured.


End file.
